(March 3, 2014) - The Boston Breakers have acquired Australian striker Lisa De Vanna from Sky Blue FC in exchange for a 2014 international roster spot and a first-round pick in the 2015 NWSL College Draft.

De Vanna scored five goals and added two assists in 16 games for Sky Blue FC in 2013, helping to lead the New Jersey based club to the inaugural National Women’s Soccer League playoffs.

“I am very excited to bring Lisa to Boston. She is without a doubt one of the top strikers and goal scorers in the women’s game,” Boston Breakers general manager Lee Billiard said. “She is exactly the kind of talent I wanted to bring in. She’s passionate about the game, a winner, and an incredible talent.”

Lisa De Vanna in action last season against the Breakers (Photos by Howard C. Smith)

Most recently, De Vanna won the Westfield W-League Grand Final with Melbourne Victory, bringing home the first championship for the club. De Vanna’s 38th-minute strike held up as the game winner in Melbourne’s 2-0 win over Brisbane on Feb. 23. She scored eight goals in 14 games for Melbourne this season.

"I am delighted to be joining the Boston Breakers this season and cannot wait to arrive to start the new campaign," De Vanna said. "I played against Boston last season and saw that they are a young team with lots of talent, so I hope with my experience and the recruiting of new head coach Tom Durkin and moving to the famous Harvard Stadium sets us up for the challenge of winning the league this season."

De Vanna, 29, has been capped 75 times by the Australian Women’s National Team since her senior team debut in 2004. She’s scored 32 goals for “The Matilidas” during her international career and has played in two FIFA Women’s World Cups (2007 and 2011) and one Olympics (Athens, 2004). The Perth, Australia native won the 2010 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Championship, and in 2007 was nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year.

In the fall of 2013, De Vanna was named Female Footballer of the Year by the Football Federation of Australia and also was nominated for FIFA’s Puskas Award for goal of the year (a bicycle kick goal against the Breakers), alongside the likes of Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Nemanja Matic.

Lisa De Vanna celebrates one of her five goals last season

No stranger to professional women’s soccer in the U.S., De Vanna played three years in Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), two with the Washington Freedom (2009, 2010) and one for magicJack (2011). In her three WPS seasons combined, De Vanna scored 12 goals in 35 games.

Following WPS, De Vanna went to Sweden to play for Linköpings Fotboll Club in Sweden’s top-flight league, Damallsvenskan. She scored seven goals in 22 appearances, helping the southern Sweden club to a third-place finish.

In addition to playing for Melbourne in the Westfield W-League, De Vanna previously played for Perth Glory, Newcastle Jets, and the Brisbane Roar. In six W-League seasons, De Vanna scored 26 goals. She’s won two W-League Grand Finals, this year and one in 2010/11 with Brisbane.

The Breakers open the 2014 NWSL season April 13 at Seattle Reign FC. The home opener is scheduled for Sunday, April 20, against the expansion Houston Dash at Harvard Stadium. To purchase tickets to all home games, visit www.breakerstickets.com.